A Cardano block is a collection of transactions that are grouped together and verified as a unit. It's similar to a page in a ledger. Each block contains a hash, which is a unique cryptographic code that identifies the block and its contents. Once a block is created, it's added to the blockchain, which is a public, distributed database. This process is known as block production. The creation of new blocks is carried out by staking pools, which are groups of individuals who contribute their ADA to secure the network. Blocks play a crucial role in the Cardano network by recording transactions, ensuring security, and providing a historical record.
Block 8540317 Details
Epoch: 400 Number of transactions in block: 21 slot_no: 87724187 epoch_slot_no: 287387 block_no: 8540140 slot_leader_id: 8404251 size: 65657 time: 2023-03-20 05:34:38 proto_major: 8 proto_minor: 0 hash: \xdeea1660231a1a3ca894b4406fe72138caa536749dd8f3fae12408fb3704a3f1Block Operator
vrf_key: vrf_vk1wn4cq98ah5j9jkty47538y0pc3phy9jjvqtkkdgkuup5qgnddsgqyr6h8t op_cert: \x3b4a6c3355ff01c711178fd7090c016ecdd2351596c33965ec05061b614a6bb4 op_cert_counter: 0